


Burnout

by B_Radley



Series: Becoming Fulcrum [16]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Conflict, Gen, Sieges of Mandalore, Watching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 14:46:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11923146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B_Radley/pseuds/B_Radley
Summary: A former Sith watches his adversary during the Sieges of Mandalore





	Burnout

**Author's Note:**

> From a challenge by SLWalker on tumblr for Maul. 
> 
> Bites fingernails....

Maul watches the young woman through the night-vision goggles. The fires of Mandalore help enhance the low light.

Her forces had fought his allies to a standstill. Or at least a semblance of a standstill.

Until he had added his power. He triggers the zoom function. He is dangerously close to her encampment, to the power of her personal battalion. 

While his vision may reach her, no weapon would, even from this vantage point. 

Some would question his wisdom in stealing even this close to the Jedi and her clones.

He corrects himself. _Ex-Jedi. Ex-padawan._

_Never underestimate a padawan,_ he thinks to himself ruefully. Two others come to mind. A young Twi’lek woman. His first Jedi. 

Then Kenobi.

He shakes his head and refocuses on the young Togruta’s face.

The sheer exhaustion as she rests against her senior clone, the blond with the Jaig eyes on his helmet. He looks closer. He sees many other emotions on her face. He reaches out to her, a quick scan in the Force.

He senses betrayal. Betrayal by her elders. He drops the NVGs as he tastes the ashes of her betrayal. Betrayal by everything she had put her faith and trust in. 

Including a friend and even….a lover?

Her near-death at the hands of a Republic firing squad if her betrayal had been complete.

The ashes of her betrayal mirror the flavor of his own.

He senses the hand of his own betrayer in her own. He thinks of the touch of the Force. Of what he could do if he could merge the ashes of her betrayal with his own.

Of the power they could wield.

A power for vengeance against their betrayers. Against their tormentors. Against the producers of those ashes.

Against those who had manipulated them both, whether Sith or Jedi. 

Against her Masters, who had brainwashed her with the Jedi nonsense, as well as his own.

He looks at her again, reaching out. His eyes widen as he sees the expression on her face. No longer an expression of pure exhaustion. He sees the small smile on her face.

He touches her Force-signature again. 

He realizes his mistake. The betrayal is only a small part of what he feels.

He feels…. _joy._

Joy at fighting with her troops again, even being around them. Especially the one that she leans against. A teacher and mentor.

Now a friend.

He feels the awesome sense of responsibility. The responsibility of being a General in command of a campaign at age seventeen or so. The pride of being given that responsibility.

There is something else. More powerful than the rest. A new emotion, marked by the same joy, but underscored by confusion.

The confusion of emotions for another. 

He scans as deep as he dares.

New emotions, for someone she has known. He reels back at the physical sensations. He shakes his head and breaks the connection in disgust.

His expression hardens. He wonders if he will taste those ashes again, when he plunges his saber into her heart.

Of if she will.

Maul is suddenly exhausted. 

Exhausted of the betrayals necessary for his vengeance.

Of the betrayals necessary for his own peace.

He turns and walks down the reverse slope of the crest.

_I will sleep. Tomorrow will be the reckoning for Lady Tano._

_We will both have peace._


End file.
